I have decided that I need a specific dietary plan and I thought that my acne.org friends could help me out!

After doing the paleo diet for a while I realised that my acne is definitely diet/digestion related, as I'm very sensitive to processed foods like bread. Whilst doing the paleo diet my digestion problems were temporarily alleviated and I no longer suffered stomach cramps and irregular bowel movements which in turn reduced my acne significantly. Since resuming my 21st century processed food diet, my problems have returned.

What I want to do differently this time is implement foods that are targeted at improving acne and improving digestion, but I'm not sure what foods to eat. I definitely want to try some green smoothies and if anyone has any recommended recipes, I'll be sure to give them a try.

Basically I need a list of do's and don'ts, foods to avoid and foods that will be beneficial. I want this thread to be for anyone that is considering dietary changes to share their experiences, recipes and tips.

I'll appreciate any input as I plan to overhaul my diet as soon as possible.

Green smoothies are a great start. I'd also recommend starting your day with a glass of lemon water to get your body hydrated and help detox the liver. I like the Paleo diet for the most part and think it's a good guideline.

Don'ts:

processed/ packaged foods

dairy (local, raw dairy may be ok)

excessive sugar/ soda

vegetable oils

Do's:

LOTS of fresh vegetables and fruit

quinoa and brown rice

fish

coconut and olive oils

lots of water with lemon juice

herbal teas

probiotics, either in supplement form or raw cultured foods like sauerkraut, kombucha

I really like the books by Dr. Perricone and he has great dietary guidelines that use the Glycemic Index to reduce inflammation in the skin and body. Good luck!

Green smoothies are a great start. I'd also recommend starting your day with a glass of lemon water to get your body hydrated and help detox the liver. I like the Paleo diet for the most part and think it's a good guideline.

Don'ts:

processed/ packaged foods

dairy (local, raw dairy may be ok)

excessive sugar/ soda

vegetable oils

Do's:

LOTS of fresh vegetables and fruit

quinoa and brown rice

fish

coconut and olive oils

lots of water with lemon juice

herbal teas

probiotics, either in supplement form or raw cultured foods like sauerkraut, kombucha

I really like the books by Dr. Perricone and he has great dietary guidelines that use the Glycemic Index to reduce inflammation in the skin and body. Good luck!

Thanks!

What do you use for cooking, olive oil or butter? Where can I purchase sauerkraut and kombucha, online or in a store?

And finally, what herbal teas do you recommend ( I assume you mean caffeine-free)?

Depends on the temp and duration of cooking. Olive oil is good for sautéing. Or you can use butter or a combo of both. Coconut oil better for higher heat, although you never want to over cook veggies or char meats, so limit high heat cooking. Still broiling and grilling reaches pretty high temps. Too high for nonstick cookware fore example.

Teas have green tea in the am, chamomile in the evening. Feel free to add a chunk of ginger root to either. Or a clove which is packed with antioxidants. Make mint and hibiscus to drink cold throughout the day.

Green smoothies and bone broths are two nutrient dense food sources for people with impaired digestion.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

I use coconut oil and butter for cooking. Both are ok when heated, I use olive oil for salad dressings. Make sure your butter (if using) is organic and ideally grass fed. The herbal tea I use can be found here http://thefearlessfa...ning-detox-tea/ and I've also had great luck when drinking chamomile regularly.

You can get everything at a local health food store or some things could be found online. Whatever you are eating, just try to make sure it is organic whenever possible.

Right now I'm finding it hard to stick to a diet because my parents buy and cook all of the food we eat in the house. I'm kinda trying to convince them that my dietary needs would be beneficial for us all.

btw,does anyone know if caffeine is green tea(or any tea) be a reason to worry?

Unless you react badly to it, a little caffeine, like the amount in green tea, is good for you. Just stop it early enough in the day so it doesn't interfere with sleep.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

So today I watched a documentary called 'Fat, sick and nearly dead' about a guy called Joe that had a disease caused by his diet and being overweight. He realised that if the body can heal externally (wounds, scrapes, scars etc.), it can internally too.

From this realisation he decided he would do a 'juice fast' in which he drank only juice for 60 days, containing a mixture of vegetables and fruit. After the fast he returned to a normal healthy diet. This was in hope that his body would somehow reboot and he would no longer have to take any of the medications that are controlling his illness. The experiment eventually came to an end and as predicted, the disease he suffered from was no longer present and he was a healthy weight. He then went on to start his own organisation called 'Reboot with Joe' and has helped a ton of people achieve the same results as himself.

Obviously for those of us that are well in terms of general health are not required to fast for a whole 60 days - 10 days is recommended and if you then wish to go further, you can. This isn't the kind of fast that is designed to essentially starve your body, it is a nutrient dense juice diet that can really rejuvenate your body. Which made me thought, if this worked for a somewhat serious ailment, surely it could work for acne sufferers too? I'm really considering giving it a shot...when I can afford a juicer that is!

I know a lot of people discuss the benefits of 'green smoothies' on here, but I've never really heard of anything like this. Maybe I just haven't done as much research on diet as others have. Below I'll post the main ingredients of his favourite juice and a link to his page. In no way am I affiliated with his organisation, I simply turned on my TV and viewed what was a really interesting documentary. It's not really a highly profitable organisation anyway, other than a few novelty items and e-books.

Mean Green Juice Recipe

1 Cucumber

4 Celery Sticks

2 Apples (Granny Smith)

6-8 Leaves of Kale

1/2 Lemon

1 tbsp ginger

As you can see from those ingredients, there's a lot of one thing in there which is really the idea of juicing, since we probably couldn't consume all of that by eating it. This isn't the only juice recipe, there's a few more on the site along with the instructions of how to make them properly.

I do my green smoothies in a blender. Juicing causes you to lose out on all the fiber in your fruits and veggies. I watched for blenders to go on clearance and got my first one for $10. You can also check for them at thrift stores and sometimes get lucky. Eventually I upgraded to a better one, but my first one gave me the chance to try smoothies without a huge financial commitment.

Ooo that smoothie sounds good! I have a smoothie maker that my auntie is currently borrowing, so I can use that to start with.

Aana I really want to try it too, but I can't afford it myself just yet. It seems like I could really cure my acne with this method, as my skin definitely reacts to my diet and digestion.

As a doctor in training, would you recommend this? There were doctors in the documentary that were really astounded by the results. You should give it a watch on YouTube or something. It opened my eyes so much!

I do my green smoothies in a blender. Juicing causes you to lose out on all the fiber in your fruits and veggies. I watched for blenders to go on clearance and got my first one for $10. You can also check for them at thrift stores and sometimes get lucky. Eventually I upgraded to a better one, but my first one gave me the chance to try smoothies without a huge financial commitment.

Agree. I use plain old blender too. In fact, it's very old. A vintage Beehive blender probably built in the 50s or 60s. You can use a mason jar instead of the big blender jar and then drink out of that jar. And mason jars are trendy these days.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

I do my green smoothies in a blender. Juicing causes you to lose out on all the fiber in your fruits and veggies. I watched for blenders to go on clearance and got my first one for $10. You can also check for them at thrift stores and sometimes get lucky. Eventually I upgraded to a better one, but my first one gave me the chance to try smoothies without a huge financial commitment.
Chocolate shake
Spinach (about two handfuls)
Almond milk (enough for blending and to achieve desired consistency)
2 bananas
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (or more if you like)
5 frozen strawberries
Yummy!

Agree. I use plain old blender too. In fact, it's very old. A vintage Beehive blender probably built in the 50s or 60s. You can use a mason jar instead of the big blender jar and then drink out of that jar. And mason jars are trendy these days.

Great! Some of the older ones will run forever!

Fish oil is my favorite supplement because it improves my skin AND it improves my mood!Motto: Love Life in spite of everything!

We are all capable of more than we give ourselves credit for. We are all capable of more than what we are doing now.

Ooo that smoothie sounds good! I have a smoothie maker that my auntie is currently borrowing, so I can use that to start with.

Aana I really want to try it too, but I can't afford it myself just yet. It seems like I could really cure my acne with this method, as my skin definitely reacts to my diet and digestion.

As a doctor in training, would you recommend this? There were doctors in the documentary that were really astounded by the results. You should give it a watch on YouTube or something. It opened my eyes so much!

as a doctor in training,i should say have accutane,antibiotics, and diet has nothing to do with acne!

Ooo that smoothie sounds good! I have a smoothie maker that my auntie is currently borrowing, so I can use that to start with.
Aana I really want to try it too, but I can't afford it myself just yet. It seems like I could really cure my acne with this method, as my skin definitely reacts to my diet and digestion.
As a doctor in training, would you recommend this? There were doctors in the documentary that were really astounded by the results. You should give it a watch on YouTube or something. It opened my eyes so much!

as a doctor in training,i should say have accutane,antibiotics, and diet has nothing to do with acne!

Yes. What you need is a drug. Lack of drugs is what causes illness.

Status: Clear after 30 years. Wow, I guess it's been 6 years, now.

[ Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10+ years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. Tried some nutrient supplements like B-complex with zinc and C, saw palmetto and a BHA like the aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Then, Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing diet and supplements (for hormones, inflammation, aging, health). No soap or other cleanser except for hand washing! Water only or Oil cleanse. Aloe Vera mixed with niacinimide and a high linoleic acid oil for moisturizer and reduce pigmentation.

as a doctor in training,i should say have accutane,antibiotics, and diet has nothing to do with acne!

Haha, so true!

Should I mix accutane and antibiotics in with my juice then?

Agree. I use plain old blender too. In fact, it's very old. A vintage Beehive blender probably built in the 50s or 60s. You can use a mason jar instead of the big blender jar and then drink out of that jar. And mason jars are trendy these days.

Would a blender completely juice it? Like, no bits or anything. If so, I'll definitely get one of those since they're a lot cheaper. Actually, I'm pretty sure I was bought a blender one Christmas and someone has borrowed it and didn't returned it! I'll hunt them down today.

My mum just bought a full set of mason jars with handles because of them being apparently 'trendy' right now.